Last Monday, May 27, 2024, the Catalan Society of Mathematics (SCM) organized the long-awaited award ceremony for the Kangaroo test and other contests, bringing together numerous students, teachers, and families in a ceremony that celebrated the mathematical excellence of Catalan youth. The event took place in a festive and exciting atmosphere, standing out for its high participation and the presence of key figures in the educational and mathematical field of Catalonia.
The presidential table was composed of Mr. Ignasi Garcia Plata, Secretary of Educational Policies of the Department of Education of the Government of Catalonia, Mr. Àngel Messeguer i Peypoch, General Secretary of the Institute of Catalan Studies, Ms. Montserrat Alsina i Aubach, President of the SCM. Also part of it were Ms. Anna Oslé, teacher at the Oriol Martorell Artistic School Institute, and Pau Mir, representing students who have had outstanding participation in the past.
In her welcome speech, Montserrat Alsina highlighted the importance of teacher collaboration in organizing the Kangaroo test, as well as the enthusiasm and dedication of the participating students.
Next, participation data for this 29th edition of the Kangaroo were presented, which were truly impressive: nearly 1,000 centers and more than 110,000 students took part in the contest, with a total of over 120,000 participants.
The award ceremony began with the distribution of the B Prizes, followed by the A Prizes, for each educational level, from fifth grade of primary school to second year of high school. The winners of each level went up on stage to collect their prizes, celebrating their success with group photos and enthusiastic applause.
The first prizes for each level were:
- Fifth Grade of Primary School: Arnau Martínez-Quintanilla Martínez, Enric Solaz Moreno, and Lea Brossa Park.
- Sixth Grade of Primary School: Adrià Piqué Gracia and Joan Llauradó Brunet.
- First Year of ESO: Oleguer Jové Fernández.
- Second Year of ESO: Magí Solà Puig.
- Third Year of ESO: Yile Liu.
- Fourth Year of ESO: Anton Meneses Julià.
- First Year of High School: Gabriel Mateo Prado Izquierdo.
- Second Year of High School: Arnau Pino Jacomet.
Mr. Antoni Gomà, secretary of the Kangaroo committee, also presented an educational game, «Acrobat Kangaroos«, as a gift for the awardees, and encouraged attendees to participate in a subsequent activity. This activity was about Can we predict lottery results?, a a popular mathematics lesson given by Enric Brasó and Sergi Belmonte, members of the educational team of the MMACA, Museum of Mathematics of Catalonia. It involved trying to guess the results of a 6/49 lottery ticket, which greatly entertained the participants.
Finally, the event concluded with special recognition for students who excelled in the Catalan phase of the’Mathematical Olympiad and the winners of the first Catalan Female Mathematical Olympiad. These distinctions underscore the importance of promoting female participation in the field of mathematics.
The event culminated with words of gratitude from Mr. Ignasi Garcia Plata, who highlighted the importance of the Kangaroo as an educational activity with great impact in Catalonia. With this celebration, the SCM concluded the 29th edition of the Kangaroo, eagerly awaiting the next edition in 2025, which will mark the 30th anniversary of the test in Catalonia.